Rookie props up wounded Wallabies

Waratahs prop Al Baxter could emerge from the NSW bench to win his first Australian jumper in Saturday's Bledisloe Cup decider.

Veteran front-rowers Patricio Noriega and Glenn Panoho were hampered by injury at the Wallabies' Coffs Harbour camp yesterday. To compound Australia's forward problems, No. 8 Toutai Kefu is still rated no better than a 50-50 chance of playing against the All Blacks in Auckland.

Dynamic back-rower Kefu has recovered from his bruised spine, sustained in a late tackle during Australia's win over South Africa, only to endure a new injury - a calf strain.

"Kef trained lightly today, we're reasonably optimistic he's going to be right to play but he'll have to train tomorrow," Wallabies coach Eddie Jones said.

It would be a huge blow if the Australians lost the experience of vice-captain Kefu for such a big game, but the 29-year-old Queenslander remained optimistic of playing.

"I rate myself a good chance of playing . . . it's a bit tight still but the medical staff are sure that I should be right by tomorrow," Kefu said yesterday.

Quitting international rugby after the World Cup to play in Japan, the 59-Test veteran does not want to be a passenger in his last overseas Test, but is desperate to play in the Bledisloe game.

"I really want to play, it's our biggest game so far. If I'm only 90-95 per cent right I probably still will play because we've got seven to eight weeks off after this . . . but I don't think, if I can't do the sessions, that I'll be given extra time," Kefu said.

Australia's deteriorating prop forward situation suddenly became acute when the 26-year-old Baxter was summoned to the Wallabies' camp for scrummaging practice after winning widespread praise from coaches during the Sydney club competition.

Noriega, 31, who displaced Baxter in the Waratahs team, has a groin strain and Jones sounded anything but optimistic when he spoke yesterday afternoon.

He said: "I wouldn't hazard a percentage of his chances of playing, but he will need to train tomorrow."

Panoho, 32, the sturdy 120-kilogram Queenslander of 20 Tests, is less seriously injured. He has a bruised thigh from his club football in Brisbane.

Asked if he was tense with the Test so near and Australia having to beat the All Blacks to retain the Bledisloe Cup after its 21-50 loss in Sydney last month, Jones replied: "Yes, it's good. That's what it is supposed to be like in the week leading up to a Test against New Zealand."

Jones described Al Baxter as "a good, young lad", and everything points to him accompanying the Wallabies to New Zealand tomorrow.

In jest, Jones mentioned NSW's newly appointed coach and 1991 World Cup-winning tight-head Ewen McKenzie as the standby prop if both Noriega and Panoho were ruled out.

One prop he should keep in mind in the emergency is discarded Waratah and 14-Test front-rower Rod Moore, who played the best game for Eastwood his club coach of three years, Chris Hickey, has seen from him.

David Lyons would logically replace Kefu as he is a similar burly, running back-rower in broken play, but George Smith is also in contention for the position.

If Smith's ball skills and mobility win him the No. 8 jumper, Lyons would still be in the running for the blindside flanker's role with Owen Finegan.

NZ's coach John Mitchell barred the media from watching his team's training yesterday, but the expectation is that he will restore his key World Cup forwards, tight-head Greg Somerville, lock Chris Jack, hooker Keven Mealamu and open-side breakaway Richie McCaw.

Mitchell rested the quartet along with loose-head Dave Hewett from the team that defeated the Springboks 19-11 at Carisbrook last weekend.